The invention relates generally to information technology. More particularly, the invention relates to methods and systems capable of managing and delivering a plurality of different information services or applications over the Internet.
The growth in the use of computers, particularly in connection with the Internet and electronic commerce, has led to an increased availability of and improved accessibility to information delivered over the Internet. In particular, electronic databases for research purposes or obtaining information have become a research resource preferred to traditional print databases. However, existing Internet delivery methods and systems are often customized for a single individual information service or application, or for a specific operating system, computer platform, technology or architecture. They often do not interconnect or support future information services or applications. In particular, the architectures of existing Internet delivery methods and system are not flexible enough to support functionality which may later be desired to be added to the information service or application.
Furthermore, existing Internet delivery methods and systems are provided in a rigid format such that every subscriber is offered the same display or user interface. Different individual or group subscribers cannot alter their display or user interface to provide a customized view or functionality. This limitation prevents the customization and optimization of a single Internet delivery method or system for use by multiple subscribers having varying needs or concentrations.
Also, it may be awkward for customers to use Internet delivery methods and systems that are developed independently, use different technologies and architectures and/or present different user interfaces. Supporting several different technology suites and several different information services or applications performing similar functions may be an inefficient use of development, quality assurance, content mastering, and operational resources. Supporting multiple information services or applications developed without a common business or technical vision also makes it much more difficult to build new applications or application functions, particularly those functions that span several different information services or applications.